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Hi Group Leaders, Thanks for taking a minute to read this and to stay-up-to date on what's happening in Community Groups at Northridge! R

#nurture the life of hope

Resource your small groups with RightNow Media's Roadmaps, which include diverse categories: discipleship, life application, scripture study

#discover god’s word

Ways to Build Community

This week I'd like to give you all some quick tips on how you and your group can build community together centered around what we're doing here at Living Hope.

This is perhaps the easiest of all...and that's simply spend a few minutes during your group meeting talking about the worship service from the previous Sunday. Ask a few ice breaker questions surrounding the sermon or spend some time sharing how the music and worship encouraged you. Doing this may even spark your group members to pay closer attention during the next service too!

Along with asking some questions about the sermons during your weekly group meeting, why not coordinate and even sit together during the service? This is also a great way to encourage regular attendance, something we've seen decrease over the years (and not just us, but all churches in the US). Holding members accountable to attend our worship gathering isn't done to shame or condemn them, but to remind them of what they miss out on, and what WE miss out on when they aren't there!

Lastly, a great way to build community at Living Hope is by serving together. Volunteering has a way of creating shared memories and shared ministry experiences that act as binding agents for relationships. At Living Hope we have a number of ways groups can serve together, for instance this upcoming April 30th from 9-noon we're having the BG Spring Clean Up event! For more information check it out here - https://livehopeful.com/bg-spring-l/ . You can also email Benny Stofer for more information (bstofer(at)lhbg.org).

Guys these are just a few ways, and as always if you'd like to talk about more ways you and your groups can form stronger community I'd like to talk! Just reach out to me at jwade(at)lhbg.org or text me anytime!

#nurture the life of hope

Prayer Time in your Group

Good morning group shepherds!

I think you’d agree that prayer is vital part of our personal walks with Christ, but also in our experience of biblical community. Praying with others, particularly in our small groups, is an opportunity to experience and share our deep and personal joys and pains. So, how do you make the most of this time in your group? How do you avoid insincere and irrelevant prayer requests? Here are a few ideas:

Manage your time. Sounds like a no-brainer, right? But how often has our time filled with fellowship and study only to get to the end of our time and feel rushed through our prayer time? If you are in a new group, this time may only take 10 minutes or so, but if you have been together a while you might need to carve out 30 minutes! Be sure to have the time you need.

Manage expectations. We encourage a group-covenant that helps manage everyone’s expectations in terms of the values and commitments the group holds, but have you considered having a conversation about your prayers together? Maybe lay down some guidelines, here are some examples: requests should be meaningful to the requester, detailed as a possible, and avoid “unspoken” prayer requests. In my experience these types of prayers only lead to gossip and speculation.

Write them down! Have someone write them down so that they can be revisited and followed up on. A part of our prayer time should include celebrating answered prayers! This is also helpful if you have folks that have to miss (but be sure to share them in confidential ways!).

Speaking of confidentiality….Hopefully you’ve included confidentiality in your group-covenant but remind everyone that our groups are safe places. What is shared in your group STAYS in your group!

Pray! When it comes to actually praying there’s a few different ways you can do it. If you have enough time you could open it up and have everyone pray, but if you want to manage the time maybe instead have a specific person pray over the requests. This is what my group does most often.

Shepherds, these are just a few things to consider as you seek to “nurture the life of hope” within your group. Don’t worry about the words being said, but the motivation and heart behind the words. Let you and your groups prayer be a reflection of the love we have for our Heavenly Father.

Praying for you and for your groups!

-Pastor Jeremie Wade

#nurture the life of hope

Spring '22 Ministry Update

Hello group shepherds of Living Hope! I pray this email finds you well. It has been sometime, so I apologize for the length of this email. As many of you know the last few months have been intense, not only for Bowling Green as we experienced the tornadoes, but I was out for a month with Covid. I know I’m not alone, though, as many in our church family have continued to face many trials over the last few months (sickness, deaths, broken relationships…) and so I pray that you and your groups are remembering to pray for one another and encourage one another. Scripture is filled with reminders of our Heavenly Father’s faithfulness and his promise to never leave or forsake us. No matter what we are facing, we can face it knowing that Jesus Christ has endured, persevered, and been found faithful, and so can we!

I pray , too, that your groups are experiencing faithfulness as well. One of our chief roles as shepherds is to remind them of their commitment to follow Jesus Christ as disciples. To encourage them to not get bogged down with the cares of the world, but to keep their eyes and hope set solely on Jesus Christ who sustains us and gives us peace. There are many things in our world at the moment that would seek to draw us away so I encourage you as a shepherd to be there to gently remind them of who Jesus is and what he has done for them. Just as I am here, to help remind you of that as well.

Since it has been sometime since we spoke, I want to encourage you to reflect on your own personal walk with Christ and the commitments you have made to Him and the church. Last August I called all of our group shepherds to reflect on a question, “Where are you?” This was a question the Yahweh posed Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden and it’s still a question for us today. Where are you in your love with your Heavenly Father? Has something in this world captured your heart over and above your God? How about your group and their commitments? Has something replaced their love and their pursuit of Christ? Work perhaps?

As a group, “Where are you?” Is your group meeting regularly? Are you in communication with them regularly? How are we encouraging one another at Living Hope? How are we loving one another, caring for one another, bearing with one another, being in unity with one another, etc. etc.? These questions should give us reason to pause and reflect, so I pray you do so today. Remember and remind your group of God’s faithfulness and His love, forgiveness and mercy. Remind them, too, that daily living is only possible as we walk with the Holy Spirit, praying and listening to Him as He points us to Jesus Christ.

I want to encourage you as a group shepherd to continue pressing forward and being obedient to God’s call on your life. As you shepherd keep in mind what our task is… to gently guide our groups towards faithfulness to Christ as we seek to make disciples that make disciples. Armed with God’s Word and empowered with the Holy Spirit we gather our groups and help them reorient their hearts towards Christ. If you and your group have not met in a while, I want to encourage you to do so or else we risk their hearts losing sight of the hope that we have in Christ. Biblical community is a beautiful gift, the church is unique in all the world. No other group of people should be marked with love as much as we should be. No other group of people should be marked by devotion and faithfulness to a cause as much as we should. If there is anything that I can do to help you in this call of shepherding community Living Hope, please let me know and reach out to me. I am praying for each of you and for your groups!

Along with my support and prayer, I want to throw out some dates and invite you to join us for a series of “Shepherd’s Circle” events in 2022. Instead of having in August ministry wide gathering like we typically do every year, We will instead meet quarterly, for a couple hours on these Sundays (meals and childcare included!). This time is all about you: for encouraging you and giving you an opportunity to mingle with other shepherds more often throughout the year. Something that I have learned over the years is that there is a shared wisdom that I believe is untapped at Living Hope. So I want to make that a priority this year.

Dates for Shepherd’s Circle:

April 24th

June 26th

Sept 25th

Dec 11th

The first (April 24th) will be right after church, so we will provide you all a lunch! In the future we may look at having some later that night and instead have dinner provided. If you have a preference please let me know! Expect to see an RSVP for the April 24th Shepherd’s Circle either by the end of this week or the beginning of next.

In closing, I know in groups ministries it is very easy to feel alone, so I want to encourage you today…YOU ARE NOT ALONE!

“Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand” (Isaiah 41:10 NLT)

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If trust has become an endangered species, how can we turn the tide towards restoration? It almost seems that the word trust has disappeared

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Spiritual Gift Assessment NPM Groups

A free resource to use to help assess spiritual giftedness

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Dealing with Anxiety and Depression

#nurture the life of hope #Vimeo

Stay tuned for the new RightNow Media platform providing a world-class user experience to complement your faith journey.

Group shepherds, be sure to check out the latest from RightNow Media! They've recently updated their site and expanded their library. There are some Advent studies to check out too!

#Leadership #blog #discover god’s word

Wade Connect Group enjoying some time celebrating fall with a pumpkin carving/decorating party. Enjoyed the fellowship and lots of great chili too!

#discover god’s word

Saddleback Podcast Series: How To Be A Small Group Leader

Are you a small group leader? Or considering becoming a small group leader? Whether you have years of experience or you've been asked to giv

Small group leaders, pastors, and more discussing strategies for growth and community in church groups. The Small Group Network is an intern

Are you a small group leader? Or considering becoming a small group leader? Whether you have years of experience or you've been asked to giv

#leadership

This is part 3 of a series Chad Harrington and Jim Putman have been taking us through on their new book The Revolutionary Disciple. Order Th

#Discover God's Word

Things Millennials Are Looking For In Small Groups

This is from Vanderbloemen and was encouraged by what young families are looking for. I'd argue that most people are looking for these aspects of community. I'd consider them crucial to ANY small group....

Here's their findings:

1. Authenticity

MILLENNIALS CRAVE AUTHENTIC COMMUNITY

Churches need to build small groups with authenticity in mind. Often, small groups will start meeting simply out of routine, following a prescribed schedule and script that the church provides. When a group becomes just a routine, the depth of relationships can become shallow. Small talk about daily life overshadows discussions about struggles and doubts that can be truly live-giving.

As you build up your small group ministry, seek authenticity above anything else. Create groups that are founded on honesty, vulnerability, and trust. These are the factors that will keep your millennial congregation engaged.

2. Consistency (and Flexibility)

This might seem contradictory, but millenials need to know that their small group will always show up, even if the timing needs to be rescheduled sometimes. It requires more effort to coordinate each week, but it’s often easier to commit to leaving a one night of the week available after seeing consistent dedication from other participants.

3. Making a Difference

Serving together can bring a new depth to relationships, especially within small groups. Not only are you seeing your group outside of its normal environment, but you can meet in your community while focusing on others’ needs.

4. Connection

Most church leaders know how important it is to look at the demographics within your church when assessing how to best disciple your congregation. The same concept applies to small groups. If half of your church is composed of single millennials, but the only small groups in existence are couples with young children, there won't be growth. It’s important to offer a variety of small group cultures to engage congregants in every stage of life.

5. The Right Environment

Offering various environments is another important factor in small groups. Not everyone is comfortable meeting in someone’s home with a group of strangers. It could be helpful to have some groups meet in a coffee shop or a church space instead. Use these types of environments as launching platforms for new members and people just getting into small groups.

Note: this first requires your church to have a set structure and model in place to replicate groups. After a time, the coffee shop group will have enough core people who are no longer strangers to transition to another meeting location, freeing up the coffee shop space for newcomers.

6. Size

Size is not a factor exclusive to millennials, but is still forgotten about at times. A group that is too small (and not growing) can feel awkward and too vulnerable. However, when a group grows too large, newcomers can feel like outsiders and can find it difficult to share open up and be authentic. A larger group can easily be split into smaller groups (or added to a smaller preexisting group) to allow for more intimate connection and discipleship.

7. Proper Leadership

One thing to watch out for as you consider increasing the number and variety of small groups within your church is the quality of leaders. Leaders for these new groups aren’t just pulled out of a hat or plucked off of a tree. Encourage those within your church that have the potential to lead to step into this leadership role.

Likewise, you should make sure that they have the resources and training necessary to be a good leader. It can be discouraging to attend a small group and find a leader that has zero idea what he or she is doing, or mistakenly believes he or she has all the answers. It can be a difficult balance to find, but it is worth the time and conversation to assess the leadership ability in small groups.

8. Respect Time

There are few things worse than going to a small group at 6pm with the expectation of two hours, but not leaving until 9pm. Some groups may function better by meeting for varying lengths of time, but it’s important to set an expectation well ahead of time and stick to it. This creates consistency and loyalty among small group members.

9. Content

Choosing the right materials or bible study for a group can be difficult. It’s certainly easy to stick with a tried-and-true study that the other groups in your church have been doing for years. While well-known material is helpful to some, most millennials tend to gravitate toward more relevant and current studies. Make sure you leave room for all kinds of people, and include both intellectual and emotional takeaways as you work through the study. Then, when your group becomes more established, together you can decide on the next study according to everyone’s collective interests.

10. Variety

While the routine of gathering in a circle to talk every week can be nice in its consistency, it’s not always the most beneficial to a small group. Just as serving together and making a difference helps build relationships within a group, so can switching up the small group routine a bit. Try just having a meal and fellowship one night and attending a worship night or conference together another night. Being able to experience life together outside of a circle in someone’s living room can have a great impact on the cohesiveness and authenticity of a small group.

While many of these qualities could be beneficial in any small group, these are especially relevant to millennials in churches today. Realistically, it would be near impossible to magically create a small group that encompasses all these qualities right this second, but start with just one or two points and see if your millennial engagement doesn’t go up!

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Assessing the Heart

God desires to see His children grow spiritually and we see that His Word encourages personal examination as an element of growth.

“Let us search out and examine our ways...” Lamentations 3:40

“Now, the Lord of Hosts says this: ‘Think carefully about your ways.’” Haggai 1:5

“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the everlasting way.” Psalm 139:23-24

“But each person should examine his own work, and then he will have a reason for boasting in himself alone, and not in respect to someone else.” Galatians 6:4

“Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk—not as unwise people, but as wise.” Ephesians 5:15

As you complete this self examination, avoid rushing. Allow this to be a time of honesty and encouragement as you ask God for his guidance and the Spirits discernment.

_____________________________________________________________

Directions: Use the scale below to respond to each statement. One you finish, review your totals for each category (D-N-A), pray, and ask the Holy Spirit for wisdom in making changes to your thoughts, actions and heart, so that you honor Him in each of these areas.

_____________________________________________________________

Never - 1, Seldom - 2, Occasionally - 3, Frequent - 4, Always - 5

D - Discovering the Word of Hope

I spend time in God’s word daily.

I enjoy connecting with God’s word.

I make life changes when Scripture contradicts my actions.

I make life decisions based on God’s word.

I talk about God’s word with others.

I have someone who is teaching me and pouring into my life spiritually.

I replace impure or inappropriate thoughts with God’s truth.

I can answer questions about life and faith from a biblical perspective.

I evaluate cultural ideas and lifestyles by biblical standards.

I demonstrate truth and honesty in my actions and conversation.

Total: __________

N - Nurturing the Life of Hope

I spend time in prayer for myself and others while listening for God to speak daily.

I seek ways to encourage others.

I am open and transparent about the joys and hurts in my life with others.

I do not gossip or talk badly about others.

I forgive others when they wrong me.

I seek to serve and meet the needs of my church and those around me.

I admit my errors in relationships and humbly seek forgiveness from those I’ve hurt.

I place the interest of others above my self-interest.

My time commitments demonstrate that I value meaningful relationships over work/career/hobbies.

I confess sins, seek accountability and discuss God’s work in my life with others so I can grow and become more like Christ.

Total: __________

A - Advancing the Mission of Hope

I share my faith in Christ with non-believers.

I expect God to use me every day in His kingdom work and am looking for those opportunities.

I regularly pray for non-believers I know.

I am intentionally discipling someone else.

I talk to others about spiritual things daily.

I go out of my way to show love to people I meet.

I give support and time towards local and global missions.

I believe and act like every Christian is a minister.

I honor God in my daily life through work and relationships.

I seek to invite others to visit and join our church family.

Total: __________

#nurture the life of hope

SUMMARY: In this episode, Vick and Julie are joined by Care Pastor Russell Irwin to talk about how to identify and navigate crisis situation

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